The American Friend

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Insomniac X Bruno Ganz brings a humane warmth to this laconic neo-noir thriller as a terminally ill family man who breaks bad. The film's slow pace is punctuated by sequences which feel almost unbearably tense, and plain, naturalistically styled moments of violence. Dennis Hopper's notorious Mr. Ripley is cool, enigmatic, and charming. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/28/25 Full Review Sams K Very good movie, i really liked it! Great story and acting. Wim Wenders is such a master of directing. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/10/24 Full Review dave s Jonathan Zimmerman (Bruno Ganz) is dying of cancer. In order to provide for his wife and son, he is coerced by Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper), a mysterious art dealer, and Raoul Minot (Gerard Blain), an equally mysterious criminal, to commit a murder in exchange for a large sum of money. What starts out as a pretty standard thriller quickly evolves into something more complex – a film about existential angst as Zimmerman comes to terms with the consequences of his actions and the long-term impact on all involved. Director Wim Wenders does an excellent job delving into Zimmerman's character and motivation, turning The American Friend into something quite different than expected. Despite the baffling and unlikely climax, it is a very satisfying thriller that asks as many questions as it does provide answers. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Shioka O It's mostly in German and sometimes in English, so I need to switch/follow the subtitles... otherwise good film. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/21/22 Full Review isla s This is very much a European arty film - there is fairly little dialogue and it has some good cinematography. I liked the shots of the train with sunrise/sunset reflected on the outside carriages. There is a thoughtful side to it too and it'd be fair to say its a somewhat quirky film. It isn't tense or gripping but its watchable certainly. I'd say if your a fan of the directors work then its worth a watch yes - the final scene had a certain poignancy to it, I felt, though its not the kind of film likely to particularly appeal to everyone. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I am a big fan of both Patricia Highsmith and Wim Wenders - separately. Together, they don't mix. Wim Wenders proved himself to be capable of directorial genius with movies such as "Wings of Desire" and "Paris, Texas," but he was the wrong person to direct a movie based on one of Highsmith's Ripley novels. It's slow when it should be fast, fast when it should be slow, and all too often unclear regarding what's happening and what's motivating the characters. I recommend the book, instead. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The American Friend

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